Life Strategies

People say “time flies”. In actual fact we are responsible for how fast time passes. Remember when we were children how long one year seemed like so long? That was because we weren’t in control of our lives, others were – our parents, teachers and so on. As adults we are in charge and we can forget how to stay in ‘the now’ and enjoy just being. Instead we live from gratification to gratification – the next pay cheque, the next outing, the next shopping excursion, the debts being cleared, and many more excuses to be in the tomorrow. Then we are surprised that time flies.

Tags: ambiance, attitude, back_to_basics, bliss, choices, deadlines, dreams_come_true, driven, enlightenment, face_life, fresh_start, gratitude, healthy_lifestyle, howto, love, moods, new_year, peace-of-mind, persistance, personal_power, power_prayer, proactive, prosperity, relaxing, ritual, role_models, roller_coaster, serenity, smile, smooth-transition, stress, success, trust, ups_and_downs

People underestimate the importance of relaxation for settling the temper, creating accelerated learning, accessing motivation, and contributing to recovery from addictions and other ill health. An effective method of relaxation is meditation with candles and our favourite relaxation music. If meditation by candlelight is not possible then a short walk will work wonders to relax us enough, and that is called walking meditation.

Wards of the State had developed serious
violent outbursts which were life threatening
my message to youthworkers of
this residential program was to teach
these youths how to relax when they
became frustrated and agitated
so the appropriate first stage for relaxation
was that they go for a walk as soon as
they felt the rage fester and if they did this
they would receive incentive points which
would be rewarded weekly
in time the smashing of windows and walls
ceased completely and the youths either
went for a walk and/or resorted to
hitting the punching bag in the rumpus room
till they felt relaxed enough to negotiate
a solution to their conflict

Tags: anger, anxiety, attitude, back_to_basics, behave, choices, cope, demons, disappointment, disruptive_behaviour, dysfunctional, emotional-maturity, emotional_trauma, fresh_start, frustration, healthy_lifestyle, howto, learning_curve, life_threatening, moods, negative_feelings, persistance, pressure_cooker, role_models, self-help, serenity

So many of us have particular noises that we cannot bear and yet loud sounds that we love. Some can’t stand the scratching of fingernails on a board. Others can’t stand the clicking of a biro pen. Yet some aren’t bothered about those noises. Sometimes it has to do with the experiences we have previously had and that leaves us with feelings that are pleasant or not which are associated with different noises. This is a normal disparity in intolerance and in pleasure and we need to express our needs as they arise.

Tags: anxiety, attitude, back_to_basics, bewildered, choices, cope, demons, disruptive_behaviour, emotional_trauma, moods

When we are faced with problems in life and we avoid them by using short term remedies then we are band-aiding the situation. That can only be a temporary solution and usually unless the problem is resolved fully, then it worsens. The problem just festers unless it is given proper attention and an appropriate remedy is found. Short term remedies rarely work.

youthworkers in a residential program for
Wards of the State had been trained that
when violent behaviour threatened to erupt
they were to ‘nip it in the bud’ by encouraging
the youths to express themselves and
negotiate for what they wanted
in this way the threatening behaviours were
dealt with early and then usually resolved
which lessened the aggressive outbursts
and taught the kids life strategies

Tags: anger, anxiety, attitude, back_to_basics, behave, childrearing_practices, choices, cope, disruptive_behaviour, dysfunctional, emotional-maturity, fresh_start, friendship, howto

When you want to lift your spirits then put on music and use some flowers to decorate the room. Then light some incense, there are different ones that please different people. These items will please three of your senses and whether you have a massage and a special something to eat of drink for the other senses depends on how much cheering you need. These are guaranteed to lift your spirits and make you feel special. Mind you, getting someone to share this with you is excellent but not essential, because on your own you prove that this experience has its merits.

Tags: alone, ambiance, attitude, back_to_basics, bliss, celebrate, choices, emotional_maturity, enjoyable, fulfilment, fun, gentle, howto, independence, insightful, laughter, learning_curve, money, peace_of_mind, picture_perfect, promises, ritual, role_model, self-help, sense_of_humour, serenity, short-ceremony, success

How many times have you been in a lousy mood and you come across someone who smiles at you. Happiness is infectious and you come out of the depths of your upset. The effect could be a little or a lot, depending on the severity of your upset. Nevertheless, if you’re having a bad time, then look up one of your happy friends for a lift in spirits. It doesn’t have to be someone who is overly happy, just within reason. And when you’re feeling happy, consider visiting someone who could do with being cheered up.

A natural need of a human being is to belong to another and to a community. Belonging to your community is far more important than people realise. Without that we can be tempted into isolation. The community can be your family and friends sharing similar interests, or your church group, or your self help group. Some of the those interests can be doing voluntary work for charitable and benevolent projects, or hobbies and sports. The learning community is another powerful area involvement. Even if your community is not a church group, belonging to a community is another form of spirituality.

Tags: achievements, attitude, back_to_basics, biological-condition, bliss, celebrate, choices, chores, close_friends, commitment, companionship, confidence, contact, deadlines, dedication, dreamlike-event, dreams_come_true, driven, emotional_maturity, enjoyable, enlightenment, face_life, friendship, fulfilment, fun, goals, gratitude, happy-event, healthy_lifestyle, hope, howto, idea, insight, laughter, learning_curve, lifelong-friendship, life_experiences, loving_parent, luck, money

We can get swept up by work commitments, which results in emotional and physical burnout. We are not aware of this happening because usually the process is enjoyable. Having purpose and direction is very potent for us human beings, whether paid or voluntary activities. However, without leisure time for good health, we can become sick. This can creep up on us, manifesting as common illnesses, depression, addiction and/or moodiness. Being vigilant about these symptoms? can be an early remedy. Better still is prevention, so we need to have a balance between our work and leisure time – no excuses.

Tags: achievements, addiction, anxiety, attitude, back_to_basics, burnout, choices, chores, clutter, commitment, cope, depressed, diabetes, dysfunctional, emotional_maturity, enlightenment, face_life, fresh_start, fulfilment, goals, howto, immature, insanity, insight, job, laughter, learning_curve, life_threatening, money, moods, neglect, obesity, overeating, passionate, peace_of_mind, persistance, personal_power, plan_of_action, power_prayer, pressure_cooker, proactive, prosperity, recovery, serenity, smooth-transition, spending, therapy, ups-and-downs

I’ve been asked “what is a life coach?” and so here is my definition as I function in that role and as the facilitator of the Affie Adagio Life Strategies Workshops.
Life coach: a person qualified and experienced in the areas of relationships, personal and professional development. People can develop life strategies to accomplish the lifestyle they dream of, through the services of a life coach. This means achieving goals that have been previously unattainable due to obstacles that seem insurmountable or when resolved keep reappearing. Everyone possesses the skills to improve their lifestyle and often a guide is required to remind them of how it is done. That is the role of a reputable, competent life coach.

Tags: attitude, back_to_basics, bliss, choices, emotional_maturity, finances, friendship, fun, gratitude, honest, howto, insight, learning_curve, life_strategies, money, persistance, plan_of_action, power_prayer, proactive, prosperity, resource_person, role_models, sanity, serenity, smile, straight_from_the_heart, succeed, support, tasks, thought-processes, ups-and-downs

Many people love going to gyms and/or exercising like jogging, swimming, horse riding, dancing and bicycle riding. Others participate in sports such as tennis, bowling, football, squash, and more. Some of us who find exercise too daunting can manage walking, slow dance, aqua-aerobics, yoga, and mowing the lawn to name a few. Any exercise is vital for gaining and maintaining fitness. Furthermore, exercise is especially beneficial for healing such basic illnesses as depression and diabetes.

Tags: anxiety, back_to_basics, biological-condition, dream_come_true, enjoyable, enlightenment, feelings, food_plan, fulfilment, fun, happiness, healthy_food, healthy_lifestyle, help, howto, insight, laughter, life_threatening, misery, moods, obesity, peace_of_mind, plan_of_action, recovery, relaxing, repetitive_messages, sanity, self-help, success, thought-processes